Curing live rock in a 24 gallon nano

[mjs9046]

Hello everyone, this will be my first sw tank a 24 gallon nano cube. I plan on purchasing 36 lbs of pre cured live rock online and plan on curing it right in the tank with nothing else in it , no sand etc , just the rock. My question is one the rock has fully cured in the tank, do I then add the sand and have to cycle the whole tank by adding a dead shrimp or something?? I am confused. So basically from what I undertand, I will cure the rock in the new aquarium first, then after it has completed the process I will then add my sand and cycle the whole aquarium before putting fish in it. ??

 

[mimic]

MJ, the curing process is quite simple patience really is the main thing your going to have to possess before buying your test kits.
If its cured live rock, if I was you i'd add the sand in there first, but if you cant I dont see any harm in it, its just if you buy LIVE sand it comes with micro-organisms that will help your tank cycle, and help it throughout the entire lifespan of your tank.
I am currently curing some UNCURED live rock, about 23lbs in my Aquapod 24g, the first 10 days suck nothing really happens its day 11 and I have a diatom bloom ( A certain type of algae that grows in new cycling tanks due to the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate spike) Diatoms can also come later in your tanks life if you are not persistant in water changes or "too much feeding" leading to high nitrates which feed algae.
If your rock is cured, little if any die-off is expected so when you put it in your tank, just set it up the way you want it, more then likely you will change the layout 100 times before you figure out what you really want. Let it sit there for a couple of days and check your Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate levels, also monitor your PH and Salinity, you can get a hydrometer for like 10 bucks and it will help you big time.
The Nitrogen cycle goes like this Ammonia (Plant crap, uneaten food) - Nitrite ( converts ammonia to nitrates) - then finally nitrates, you will read anything under 20ppm is ideal, but to be safe I'd shoot for for less then 10ppm before adding anything in your tank, livestock wise.
For instance, 11 days ago I started cycling my tank, 5 days after it was in, I had an ammonia spike, actually its still spiking. My Nitrites soon after about 2-3 days after started to spike, they are now as high as my chart can read (still spiking), and my Nitrates are at 40ppm, dangerous for anything to live, I cant beilive algae can live in there lol.
So I am guessing my tank will be ready in a week or two, who knows.
I also added "Cycle" and before that Bio-zyme they both are pretty much "nitrifying Bacteria" that help kickstart my cycle.
This is my first Salt water fish tank, so I am trying to take everyones advice and take it slow I suggest the same to you, you will want to throw some fish and inverts in there cause its so boring to just watch rock/sand and water flow.... but dont they will die instantly considering your tank cycle's.
I read some tanks dont cycle because there isnt enough die-off to create a cycle, but to be safe I'd wait atleast two weeks before trying to add your Clean up crew.
Add your live rock, by ammonia and nitrite test kits, wait a week and test your water if you read 0 ammonia, and 0 nitrites, wait another week then test agian if you still read 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites chances are that the rock you bought is very well established and you wont have to go through the pain I am by curing my own rock... I'd say two weeks of 0 readings is safe, but dont take my word for it, I'd throw some Bacteria in there to kick start it anyways this way you can have colonized bacteria to help your bio-logical filter (live rock) sustain.
Sorry for the long post, hope this helps and anyone feel free to correct me if I am wrong about anything.

 

[dragonzim]

Even if you buy rock that says it is already cured it will no longer be cured by the time it gets to you after having been out of water for a few days while being shipped to you. You will need to cure the rock all over again, which can take anywhere from 2 - 6 weeks depending on your water readings. My suggestion would be to get the rock in your tank and add a piece of raw shrimp. Let it sit for a few days and take some readings. Once your ammonia spikes you can remove whats left of the shrimp. Continue testing till your ammonia reads zero then add your live sand. You will be better off if your rock is resting on the bottom glass anyway and then add anywhere from 1-3 inches of sand around the rock. This will keep your rockwork steady if you eventually get any critters in there that like to burrow under the sand. Once the sand is in, take some more readings and if everything is at zero you are ready to add a fish or 2.
Also, dont bother with a Hydrometer as was suggested in the post above. They are notoriously inaccurate. You are better off spending the money at the start and getting yourself a refractometer. You should be able to find one for around $40-$50. WAY more accurate than a hydrometer.